Purrfect Secret

Chapter 4

The episode of Kit Katt ended and Brutus and Harriet drifted off into the backyard, probably to stare at Grandma while she dug more holes. Cats love to watch humans dig holes. No idea why. Probably so they can pick up a few ideas on skill and technique.

“Hey, buddy,” I said to Dooley. “You’re awfully quiet. Something wrong?”

He shrugged. “Have you ever felt superfluous, Max?”

I was surprised Dooley would even know a big word like that. “What do you mean?”

“I mean that Harriet has Brutus and Brutus has Harriet. You have Odelia and Odelia has you. Even Milo has his human—even though she’s not here right now. But who do I have?”

“You have Grandma,” I said. “And she has you.”

He stared off in the direction of the garden, where Brutus was now giving Grandma a few tips on how to dig a hole by using her hands instead of that silly-looking shovel. “Grandma doesn’t care a hoot about me, Max. In fact I don’t think she ever did.”

“I’m sure that’s not true. Grandma loves you—she loves all of us.”

“No, she doesn’t. You know what she said to me the other day? That I shouldn’t sleep on her feet. She said she’s too old to have cats sleep on her feet. She also pushed me away when I tried to dig my nose into her armpit this morning. Said I was being silly and she was too old for that nonsense.” He shook his head. “I’m telling you, she’s getting ready to take me to the pound, Max. I can feel it in my bones.”

“Now don’t you talk like that, Dooley,” I told him. “That’s crazy talk. Maybe Grandma is acting a little weird lately but that’s just because she’s in a fight with Tex and Marge.”

“She’s in a fight with Tex and Marge and she’s decided she doesn’t want me anymore,” he said sadly.

Grandma had worked for her son-in-law Tex for years and years at Tex’s doctor’s office. But since Tex and Odelia’s mom Marge had protested Grandma’s attempt to move away and go and live with the rich family of her ex-boyfriend Burt Goldsmith, Gran had moved out of their house and into Odelia’s, and now things were very tense all around.

“I’m sure everything will go back to normal soon enough,” I said. “Besides, Odelia is pretty much your human, too, right? She loves you just as much as she loves me.”

“In my experience humans can only love one pet, Max,” said Dooley somberly. “And since she already has you, there’s no room in her heart for anyone else.” He sighed deeply. “No, looks like I’m humanless.” Then he cast a forlorn look at me. “At least I still have you, Max. You’re my best friend, and you’ll never leave me, right?”

“Of course I’ll never leave you,” I said, rubbing my friend’s noggin with my furry knuckles. “Best friends forever, right?”

“Right,” he said, a glimmer of hope lighting up his features. “So you won’t mind if I permanently move in with you?”

I know I should have said yes wholeheartedly, so I don’t know where that slight hesitation came from. Maybe from the fact that I was on edge with this whole Milo business. Or maybe because Dooley kinda took me by surprise. Fact is, I flinched. And Dooley saw that. And his expression hardened, and without another word he stalked off.

“Dooley!” I yelled. “Come back here! Of course you can move in with me, buddy!”

But he was already gone.

I felt eyes burning into my back so I turned. Milo was staring at me. Then he smiled. “Looks like you need a new friend, Max. Why don’t you let me be that friend from now on?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I said, pensive now.

He strode up to me and placed a paw on my shoulder. “You look sad, Max. And no wonder. Your best friend just walked out on you. But not to worry. I’ll be your new bro.”

I gulped. A strange sensation was gnawing at me. A sense of foreboding. Then I stomped down on the sentiment. Harriet and Brutus were right. Milo was my guest. I needed to be nicer to him. Hospitable. Kind and understanding. So I relented.

“Of course,” I told him. “From now on my milk is your milk and my Cat Snax are your Cat Snax, Milo. And you’re welcome to stay under my roof for as long as you like.”

His lips slowly curled up into a smile. “I knew you’d warm to me, Max. I just knew it. You’re an old fogey, and old fogeys sometimes need time to adjust. But from now on we’re besties. Besties for life.” And he held up his paw, so I placed mine against it. And when he went low, I went low, too. But when we paw-bumped, I had a sinking feeling something was terribly wrong with this picture.

And I didn’t even know the half of it yet.